Self-serve wine bar coming to Mohawk Harbor

SCHENECTADY — Oenophiles will be able to expand their palates with the push of a button at a new wine bar planned for Mohawk Harbor.

The Shaker & Vine is expected to open in early 2018 and will feature an interactive dispensing system, from which customers will be able to draw a sip, a larger taste or a full glass of more than 60 wines.

The wine bar will occupy a ground-floor space in the River House apartment building, two doors down from the space where Druthers Brewing will build a restaurant. It also will offer a full-service bar and kitchen that will serve cocktails and a light gourmet menu of sandwiches, flatbread pizzas, charcuterie boards and fondue.

The Shaker & Vine is being put together by Anthony Graziano, a Rotterdam native who owns Chilled magazine, a trade publication for bartenders.

“We are so excited to be a part of this great project and the development of downtown Schenectady," Graziano said in a prepared statement. "When we first saw the site, we knew that we wanted to create something just as unique as the River House and Mohawk Harbor. Bringing a one-of-a-kind self-serve wine bar and a place featuring premium craft cocktails does just that.”

Meanwhile, just up the street from the River House, Rivers Casino & Resort has given its guests a new option: Smoking while gambling.

The indoor areas of the casino are smoke-free, in compliance with state regulations, but there is an outdoor smoking patio.

And Rivers has moved some of its slot machines out there.

“At Rivers, we’re always focused on creating a superior experience for all of our guests, and as such, we’re continually adding gaming, dining and entertainment options,” Rivers Casino & Resort general manager Mary Cheeks said in a prepared statement. “We’re proud to offer our guests the first outdoor slot machines to be featured in a commercial casino in New York.”